Pizza-by-drone a reality with world-first customer deliveries in New Zealand

November 2016

Drone deliveries of pizza are now a reality, with the first commercial delivery of food by drone to a customer, anywhere in the world, successfully completed in New Zealand this morning.

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Limited (Domino’s) and drone delivery partner Flirtey delivered the first order, a Peri-Peri Chicken Pizza, and a Chicken and Cranberry Pizza, at 11:19am (GMT+13) to a customer in Whangaparaoa[1], 25km north of Auckland.

The unmanned aerial vehicle, DRU Drone by Flirtey, was autonomously controlled using GPS navigation, overseen by a team of drone experts and a qualified and experienced drone pilot.

Domino’s Group CEO and Managing Director, Don Meij, said the successful DRU Drone by Flirtey delivery came just three months after the companies announced their partnership, but followed a number of operational and product trials, including food temperature testing, and liaison with government.

“We invested in this partnership, and technology, because we believe drone delivery will be an essential component of our pizza deliveries, so even more customers can receive the freshest, hottest pizza we can offer,” Mr Meij said.

“Our partnership with Flirtey grew out of this drive to innovate. Their success within the airborne delivery space has been impressive and we’re proud to have partnered with them on this world first.

“DRU Drone by Flirtey offers the promise of safer, faster deliveries to an expanded delivery area, meaning more customers can expect to receive a freshly-made order within our ultimate target of 10 minutes.

“They can avoid traffic congestion and traffic lights, and safely reduce the delivery time and distance by travelling directly to customers’ homes. This is the future.

“Today’s successful delivery was an important proof of this concept, DRU Drone by Flirtey can deliver the highest-quality meal to our customers, safely, and we are delighted at this milestone.

“Our customers are excited about the possibility of drone deliveries and we are thrilled to be working with local families as we test and expand this technology.

“We will be conducting more delivery flights to customers from the Whangaparaoa store this week, and will use the information we gather to expand drone flights to a larger DRU Drone by Flirtey delivery area next year.

“We expect DRU Drone by Flirtey to be an essential addition to our delivery fleet.

“This will actually create jobs. As we expand, we will look to hire additional team members whose roles will be focused on drone order loading and fleet management.

“I am proud of this partnership that has not only delivered this momentous event, but is leading the world for this important technology.

Flirtey received a Part 102 Unmanned Aircraft Operators Certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority.

Flirtey CEO Matt Sweeny said: “This is the first time a drone delivery service has been approved for store-to-door deliveries, cementing Flirtey’s position as the leader of the drone delivery industry worldwide.

“The eyes of Silicon Valley and the world are on New Zealand, which has the most forward-thinking aviation regulations, and Flirtey and Domino’s are excited to be bringing world-leading technology, international investment, and high paying jobs to New Zealand.

“We have been conducting daily testing, including final adjustments to our proprietary hardware and software, to perfect the service so that we could deliver the highest quality experience to customers in the safest possible manner.

“Flirtey will work with Domino’s to expand on today’s success, and plan to extend the dimensions, weight and distance of the deliveries in the future based on results and customer feedback.

“We are taking a ‘Crawl, Walk, Run, Fly’ approach to roll out drone delivery, and we are getting closer to the time where you can push a button on your smartphone and have Domino's delivered by DRU Drone by Flirtey to your home.

“It is so exciting to work with Domino’s and achieve this world first together. The insights that Domino’s can bring by being a world-class delivery company helps Flirtey to offer a world-class drone delivery service.”

Domino’s does not anticipate any shortage of customers when they start with trials to customers.

The Company’s recent GPS Driver Tracker Polls revealed that 70 per cent of customers would use DRU Drone by Flirtey for their deliveries if given the opportunity.

The use of DRU Drone by Flirtey as a delivery method is designed to work alongside Domino’s current delivery fleet and ultimately will be fully integrated into online ordering and GPS systems.

Domino’s is looking at opportunities for drone delivery trials in its six other markets – Australia, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Japan and Germany.

About Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd:

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Limited (DPE) was Australia’s first publicly-listed pizza company and is the master franchisor for the Domino’s brand in Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Japan and Germany. Across these seven markets, DPE and its franchisees operate more than 2,000 stores. For more information, visit www.dominos.co.nz

About Flirtey:

Flirtey is the world’s leading drone delivery service, with a mission to save lives and change lifestyles by making delivery instant. The startup has worked with NASA, and top universities to create the technology and logistics systems for a mass-market drone delivery network. Flirtey was also the first company to conduct an FAA-approved delivery in the U.S., the first to perform a fully autonomous drone delivery to a home and the first to launch a commercial drone delivery service. Flirtey’s landmark achievements have been recognised by the Smithsonian Institution for display at its Air and Space Museum, which accepted a Flirtey drone to join other iconic American aircraft, including the Space Shuttle Discovery and the Wright Flyer, on display at the museum. Learn more at www.flirtey.com